Environmental

  • September 03, 2024

    EPA Should Have Rethought Smog Plan, DC Circ. Told

    U.S. Steel Corp. told the D.C. Circuit that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was obligated to rethink its plan to reduce smog-forming emissions across several states once courts partially blocked the plan's implementation, saying those decisions vindicate arguments that the rule can't be legally crafted.

  • September 03, 2024

    Harris Follows Biden In Opposing $15B US Steel-Nippon Deal

    Vice President Kamala Harris said Monday that she would oppose Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion proposed takeover of U.S. Steel if elected president, following President Joe Biden's lead and signaling that she would take a tough stance when it comes to mergers and acquisitions that could jeopardize national security and domestic jobs.

  • September 03, 2024

    DC Circ. Rejects EPA's 'New' Boiler Emission Limits

    The D.C. Circuit said Tuesday that a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule regulating emissions from boilers used at industrial plants, universities and hospitals improperly classified some sources as "new" even though they existed before the regulations were proposed.

  • August 30, 2024

    3M Swept 'Forever Chemicals' Under The Rug, Buyers Say

    3M Co. and two chemical companies sold stain- and dirt-repellents made with so-called forever chemicals to carpet manufacturers without disclosing the health risks posed by the chemicals, which were then installed in millions of homes and businesses, according to a proposed consumer class action filed Friday in Minnesota federal court.

  • August 30, 2024

    Flint Water Firm Wants To Keep PR 'Sideshow' Out Of Trial

    One of the last remaining defendants in Flint water crisis litigation urged a Michigan federal judge to exclude from an upcoming bellwether trial evidence about its public relations efforts, which included an alleged smear campaign against the lawyer for Flint children that led to another attorney getting referred to the California bar.

  • August 30, 2024

    Don't Halt Smelter Pollution Suit For Appeal, 8th Circ. Told

    Hundreds of Peruvian citizens urged the Eighth Circuit on Thursday not to pause a 17-year-old pollution case for a high court appeal requested by the billionaire owner of a smelter, arguing that the justices were unlikely to overturn rulings allowing the case to proceed.

  • August 30, 2024

    Partnership Can't Save Premature Tax Court Appeal, Feds Say

    The IRS is urging the Eleventh Circuit to throw out a Tax Court appeal that a partnership formed by two former Atlanta Braves players filed over a slashed $47.6 million conservation easement deduction, since the appeal was improperly filed before a final decision was entered.

  • August 30, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    Appeals courts have awakened from summertime slumber and crammed their early autumn calendars with arguments of national significance, which Law360 previews in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing. We're also recapping August's top appellate decisions, exploring new polling about U.S. Supreme Court opinions and testing your knowledge of Fifth Circuit history.

  • August 30, 2024

    'Guesswork' Underlies Red States' NEPA Challenge, Feds Say

    The Biden administration is making its own push for summary judgment in its battle with 21 Republican-led states over a new environmental permitting rule, arguing in North Dakota federal court that their suit fails on standing and ripeness and relies on pure "guesswork" about how the rule will be implemented.

  • August 30, 2024

    Feds Propose Tribal Oversight Of Utah National Monument

    Nearly 2 million acres of public lands within Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument will be managed by a co-stewardship of tribal nations, with a focus on conservation and preservation, according to a proposed plan by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

  • August 30, 2024

    Condo Board Coverage Suit Over Maui Wildfire Gets Tossed

    A Hawaii federal judge tossed an insurer's suit seeking to avoid representing a condo association and property manager after owners sent a letter blaming the association for illegally having insufficient insurance before the 2023 Maui wildfires decimated Lahaina, concluding matters were best left to Hawaii state court.

  • August 30, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen television property developer Kambiz Babaee hit with a fraud claim, a Bitcoin podcaster reignite a dispute with Australian computer scientist Craig Wright and football club owner Massimo Cellino's company file a claim against ClearBank. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • August 30, 2024

    Fall IPO Pickup Could Be A Prelude For 2025 Recovery

    More companies are preparing to go public after Labor Day, signaling a modest increase in initial public offerings that capital markets advisers say could presage a stronger recovery in 2025, assuming next year brings more clarity regarding interest-rate policy and the result of the presidential election.

  • August 30, 2024

    Rule Aims To Widen Low-Income Green Electricity Tax Credits

    Geothermal, hydropower, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission projects would be among the types of electricity facilities that could be eligible for clean electricity low-income community bonus credit amounts starting in 2025, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Treasury Department said in proposed rules released Friday.

  • August 29, 2024

    Greens Urge EPA To Strip NC Of Right To Protect Clean Water

    Environmental groups are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revoke North Carolina's authority to regulate water pollution, saying North Carolina lawmakers have systematically undermined state regulators to the point where they can no longer effectively protect state waters.

  • August 29, 2024

    Texas' Anti-ESG Law Is Unconstitutional, Green Biz Org Says

    A sustainability-focused business group on Thursday sued Texas state officials in federal court seeking to block a law that restricts state investments with financial firms and businesses that want to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

  • August 29, 2024

    States, Industry Ask High Court To Block EPA Methane Rule

    A group of states and fossil fuel industry players have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the D.C. Circuit's decision not to block the implementation of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency final rule strengthening methane emissions control requirements for oil and gas infrastructure.

  • August 29, 2024

    DOI Stands By Its Mining Ban On 28M Acres In Alaska

    The U.S. Department of the Interior has finalized a decision to continue protections on 28 million acres of land in Alaska, a move that bans oil and gas drilling activity in the region and reverses a decision made in the Trump administration's final days to open up the area for development.

  • August 29, 2024

    Ill. Judge Overrules Dismissal For 6 Paraquat Cases

    An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss several cases in multidistrict litigation over the herbicide paraquat, finding that even though counsel didn't fill out questionnaires on time, it was because he was left the sole attorney in the firm after others quit.

  • August 29, 2024

    Feds Ask The Supreme Court To Reverse NEPA Railway Ruling

    The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has told the U.S. Supreme Court that the D.C. Circuit was wrong to revoke the agency's approval of a rail line to transport crude oil from Utah, saying the appeals court went beyond what the law requires for environmental reviews.

  • August 29, 2024

    5th Circ. Got Biofuel Ruling Right, Refiners Tell Justices

    The U.S. Supreme Court shouldn't review a Fifth Circuit decision vacating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's denial of small refiners' requests for exemptions from their renewable-fuel program obligations, the refiners told the justices Wednesday.

  • August 29, 2024

    SunPower Eyes Sept. Auction As IP Objection Nixed For Now

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Thursday overruled an objection to bidding procedures for the assets of residential solar technology company SunPower Corp. from a former subsidiary, finding the dispute over use of the SunPower brand should be heard later.

  • August 29, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Ackman IPO, Covestro Takeover, Trinitech

    Bill Ackman is reviving plans for an initial public offering of his new closed-end fund, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is inching closer to launching a takeover of plastics company Covestro, and private equity owners are exploring a $2 billion sale of financial software firm Trintech. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • August 29, 2024

    Trade Court Wants More Info To Decide Generator's Duty Rate

    A U.S. Court of International Trade judge won't yet resolve whether a Korean energy company could import the supermodule for its hydrogen fuel cell generator into the U.S. duty-free, saying he needs more information on the product.

  • August 29, 2024

    Agency Says Homeowner's Appeal Question Is Too Late

    An insurance agency pushed North Carolina's Supreme Court to toss a homeowner's appeal on whether the court erred by having heightened pleadings standards for punitive damages against corporations, arguing the deadline for debating the issue had passed.

Expert Analysis

  • The State Of Play In DEI And ESG 1 Year After Harvard Ruling

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    Almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, attorney general scrutiny of environmental, social and governance-related efforts indicates a potential path for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be targeted, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • How To Use Exhibits Strategically Throughout Your Case

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    Exhibits, and documents in particular, are the lifeblood of legal advocacy, so attorneys must understand how to wield them effectively throughout different stages of a case to help build strategy, elevate witness preparation and effectively persuade the fact-finders, say Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie and Colorado prosecutor Adam Kendall.

  • Opinion

    NEPA Final Rule Unlikely To Speed Clean Energy Projects

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    A recent final rule from the White House Council on Environmental Quality purports to streamline federal environmental reviews to accelerate the construction of renewable energy infrastructure — but it also expands consideration of climate change and environmental justice, creating vast new opportunities for litigation and delay, says Thomas Prevas at Saul Ewing.

  • Tips For Companies Tapping Into Commercial Cleantech

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    A recent report from the European Patent Office and European Investment Bank examining the global financing and commercialization of cleantech innovation necessary for the green energy transition can help companies understand and solve the issues in developing and implementing the full potential of cleantech, says Eleanor Maciver at Mewburn Ellis.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • 15 Quick Tips For Uncovering And Mitigating Juror Biases

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    As highlighted by the recent jury selection process in the criminal hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, juror bias presents formidable challenges for defendants, and attorneys must employ proactive strategies — both new and old — to blunt its impact, say Monica Delgado and Jonathan Harris at Harris St. Laurent.

  • In Debate Over High Court Wording, 'Wetland' Remains Murky

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    Though the U.S. Supreme Court's decision limiting the Clean Water Act’s wetlands jurisdiction is now a year old, Sackett v. EPA's practical consequences for property owners are still evolving as federal agencies and private parties advance competing interpretations of the court's language and methods for distinguishing wetlands in lower courts, says Neal McAliley at Carlton Fields.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Saying What Needs To Be Said

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    Edward Arnold and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth Shaw examine three recent decisions that delve into the meaning and effect of contractual releases, and demonstrate the importance of ensuring that releases, as written, do what the parties intend.

  • Geothermal Energy Has Growing Potential In The US

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    Bipartisan support for the geothermal industry shows that geothermal energy can be an elegant solution toward global decarbonization efforts because of its small footprint, low supply chain risk, and potential to draw on the skills of existing highly specialized oil and gas workers and renewable specialists, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Insurer Quota-Sharing Lessons From $112M Bad Faith Verdict

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    In Indiana GRQ v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance, an Indiana federal jury recently issued a landmark $112 million bad faith verdict, illustrating why insurers must understand the interplay between bad faith law and quota-sharing before entering into these relatively new arrangements, say Jason Reichlyn and Christopher Sakauye at Dykema. 

  • Insurance Types That May Help Cos. After Key Bridge Collapse

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    Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, businesses that depend on the bridge, the Port of Baltimore and related infrastructure for shipment and distribution of cargo should understand which common types of first-party insurance coverage may provide recoveries for financial losses, say Bert Wells and Richard Lewis at Reed Smith.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

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    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Salvaging The Investor-State Arbitration System's Legitimacy

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    Recent developments in Europe and Ecuador highlight the vulnerability of the investor-state arbitration framework, but arbitrators can avert a crisis by relying on a poorly understood doctrine of fairness and equity, rather than law, to resolve the disputes before them, says Phillip Euell at Diaz Reus.

  • NY's Vision For Grid Of The Future: Flexible, Open, Affordable

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    Acknowledging that New York state's progress toward its climate goals is stalling, the New York Public Service Commission's recent "Grid of the Future" order signals a move toward more flexible, cost-effective solutions — and suggests potential opportunities for nonutility participation, say Daniel Spitzer and William McLaughlin at Hodgson Russ.

  • Trump Hush Money Case Offers Master Class In Trial Strategy

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    The New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump typifies some of the greatest challenges that lawyers face in crafting persuasive presentations, providing lessons on how to handle bad facts, craft a simple story that withstands attack, and cross-examine with that story in mind, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

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